ISLAMABAD: The federal ombudsman on Friday directed the government to fill 353 vacancies of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff at Polyclinic in three months and complete the Polyclinic-II project by 2026 as per the original time frame.

He also ordered the hospital administration to improve the quality of services at the 29 dispensaries currently functioning under the hospital.

An inspection team formed by the ombudsman recently visited the hospital and received a plethora of complaints by patients, says a pressrelease.

Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi issued the instructions after receiving a report from the inspection team. He said with a view to providing better health facilities to patients, the ongoing Polyclinic-II projeet in G-11 should be completed by 2026.

He also directed that the MRI machine imported from Japan may be made functional till November this year. The ombudsman said strict disciplinary action may be initiated against doctors and medical staff found absent from duty during office hours.

He directed that ENT machines lying non-functional for the last four years should be utilised for treatment of patients, adding a comprehensive plan may be prepared for procurement and distribution of drugs and medicines in the hospital.

The ombudsman had constituted the inspection team to undertake a visit to the hospital on receipt of pub-lic complaints.

The inspection team headed by Senior Adviser Ahmad Farooq and comprising Registrar Mohammad Saqib Khan and Consultant Khalid Sial visited the hospital to look into the complaints.

According to the press release, when the inspection team reached the hospital, only one clerk was present at the main reception counter and there was a great rush of patients waiting to get themselves registered. The other clerk who was supposed to be on duty was absent.

Doctors and medical staff at the urology department were found busy enjoying pizza during office hours bolting the door from inside and the patients were waiting outside in the sweltering heat, said the press release.

The inspection team directed that there should be at least three counters at the main reception to handle the growing number of patients.

The nurses working in the hospitalgathered in a large number when they became aware of the visit of the inspection team to air their grievances. The team members listened to their grievances and issued instructions on the spot to the administration for their redressal. They also instructed that nurses should be to given first priority while granting honorarium to the staff members.

The team was later informed at a briefing that a 400-bed hospital was currently being constructed in G-11 under the Polyclinic-II project.

A female diabetic patient complained that she had not been getting necessary medicine for the last one and a half months nor her tests were being conducted.

Many other patients alleged irregularities and unavailability of medicines in the hospital.

The inspection team directed the hospital administration to provide it with the details of procurement and distribution of medicines.